1. Field
Aspects of the present invention generally relate to an image forming apparatus, a control method, and a storage medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
An image forming apparatus forms an image on a sheet by using a recording material such as toner. Generally, a recording material is stored in a storage unit such as a cartridge. Some of the image forming apparatuses are configured to detect an amount of the recording material remaining in the storage unit, and display the value thereof on a display unit such as a user interface (UI).
Conventionally, a sensor is provided in the image forming apparatus, and a value detected by the sensor is displayed as a remaining amount of the recording material as it is. As the sensor, taking cost into consideration, such a sensor that exhibits high detection accuracy only when the remaining amount of the recording material decreases considerably to a certain level is often used. In this case, the sensor detects the remaining amount of the recording material in discrete values such as 100%, 20%, 0%. As a result, the display unit also displays the remaining amount of the recording material in discrete values such as 100%, 20%, 0%.
On the other hand, there is another technique of displaying a remaining amount of a recording material in continuous values on a display unit, while using a sensor that discretely detects the remaining amount of the recording material (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-343621). For example, when image formation is performed, a predictive value of a remaining toner amount is calculated based on a dot count value of raster data, and the value is displayed as a current value of the remaining toner amount. Then, when a sensor value of the remaining toner amount is obtained from the sensor, the current value is updated with the sensor value.
When a toner cartridge is replaced, it is necessary to initialize the current value of the remaining toner amount. For this purpose, a remaining toner amount value stored in a memory tag of a toner cartridge is used as the initial value of the remaining toner amount. Then, in a case where any remaining toner amount value is not stored, the initial value of the remaining toner amount is calculated based on the number of printed pages or the like stored in the memory tag of the toner cartridge.
However, when the initial value of the remaining toner amount is calculated based on the number of printed pages or the like, if the calculation value contains an error, the current value of the remaining toner amount cannot be appropriately initialized. This makes it impossible to appropriately display the remaining toner amount, at least until the sensor detects the remaining toner amount. This problem is particularly serious in a case where the remaining toner amount is small in a cartridge after replacement. For example, assume a case where the calculated value is smaller than the predetermined value, though the real remaining toner amount is actually not smaller than the predetermined value (for example, a “low” level (20%), an “out” level (0%), etc.). In this case, if the calculated value is used as the initial value of the remaining toner amount, warning is issued at timing when the warning should not be issued, which makes a user confused. Further, for example, assume a case where the calculated value is greater than the predetermined value, though the remaining toner amount is actually smaller than the predetermined value (for example “low” level (20%), “out” level (0%)). In this case, if the calculated value is used as the initial value of the remaining toner amount, warning is not issued at timing when it should be issued, which causes inconvenience to a user.